1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to design support system, method and program, and more particularly to a design support technique for calculating and displaying differences in an attribute between different shapes.
2. Description of the Related Art
Techniques for calculating a difference in shape between different shapes are disclosed in, for example, Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2005-266894 (JP-A-2005-266894) and Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2005-208735 (JP-A-2005-208735). For example, a gear shape simulation method disclosed in JP-A-2005-208735 includes the steps of: obtaining a finite element model representing the shape of a toothed gear that has been subjected to heat treatment, positioning the finite element model for the gear shape after heat treatment and a finite element model representing the shape of a standard gear relative to each other, with respect to the centers of gravity thereof, so as to calculate a difference in shape between these gears.
A mold design support method disclosed in JP-A-2005-266894 includes the steps of: superimposing a finite element model of a product of plastic working and a finite element model of a standard product of plastic working on each other, at at least two nodes thereof, and comparing these models with each other while fixing the nodes, so as to calculate a difference in shape between the products. Also, in the related art other than the above-identified publications JP-A-2005-266894 and JP-A-2005-208735, there is disclosed a technique for displaying differences between the same two shapes, in terms of attributes, such as distortion, stress and temperature, set at respective nodes of a finite element model of each shape.
However, according to the techniques as disclosed in JP-A-2005-266894 and JP-A-2005-208735, differences in attributes, such as distortion, stress and temperature, at the nodes and other positions than the nodes between different shapes cannot be calculated. With the above-described technique for displaying differences in attributes at respective nodes between the same shapes, the differences in the attributes at the nodes can be calculated and displayed, but differences in the attributes at points other than the nodes cannot be calculated and displayed.